Industry solutions

Industry produces more than 35 per cent of Canada's total greenhouse gases. In fact, a small handful of industries produce the vast majority of these emissions.

Oil and gas extractors and refiners are by far the largest contributors, accounting for 38 per cent of industry emissions. Utilities, cement, iron and steel, chemical and aluminum industries are also major contributors.

There are a number of practical ways for industry to reduce greenhouse gas emissions:

Financial incentives to encourage energy efficiency. New technologies and techniques in machinery, heating, lighting and ventilation can significantly cut energy use, production costs, greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution.

A cap and allowance emissions trading system that would place strict limits or "caps" on the emissions from large industrial sources. Sources emitting less than their cap could sell these "surplus allowances" to others. This system places the costs of emissions on the polluters, not on the public at large.